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Be advised that in all your coursework, students (both undergraduate students and graduate students) should not seek unpermitted aid and no student should give aid on examinations, papers or other assigned work (employed for evaluating the students' knowledge and progress). It is the responsibility of each student to uphold these ideals.

As a major in Electrical/Computer Engineering, you should appreciate that you are creating your own personal record of both academic performance as well as moral and ethical behavior; thus, any deviation from acceptable behavior may be grounds for dismissal from the Electrical/Computer Engineering program.

The faculty of the University of California, Riverside, believe that the vast majority of our students maintain high standards of academic honesty and integrity; however, occasional incidents of academic dishonesty do occur. Many such acts are committed through ignorance. Often, a student accused of cheating will vehemently deny the charge, claiming that he/she did not know the act violated established policy. The following statement is intended to clarify what constitutes academic dishonesty and to describe the procedures and consequences if a student is accused of and found guilty of breaking the rules that apply to all UC Riverside students. At UCR, academic dishonesty is a serious offense and will not be tolerated.

Policy

University of California, Policies applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students, Section 102.01 (1996): Academic dishonesty requiring discipline is defined as "All forms of academic misconduct, including but not limited to, cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or facilitating academic dishonesty as may be further specified in campus regulations." (The complete policy is published each quarter in the Schedule of Classes.)

Academic Honesty Defined

Cheating: to copy from another student's examination, quiz, laboratory work, or homework assignment. The use of pre-prepared notes or other resources, in any form, during an examination, unless such use is expressly authorized by the instructor, also constitutes cheating. If a student knowingly allows someone else to copy from their homework, laboratory work, or examination, they are in violation of section 102.01. Revising a work after its final evaluation and representing the revised version as being the original work is cheating. Forging or otherwise unauthorized changing of an earned grade is also academically dishonest. Arranging for someone else to take an examination under your identification also constitutes an act of cheating. In this last instance, both parties are liable.

Plagiarism: According to Webster's Dictionary, plagiarism is the act of stealing and passing off as one's own the ideas or words of another. Please note that the instructor will pay attention not to whether you meant to plagiarize, but whether you did plagiarize. Additionally, submitting the same paper twice or fulfilling the requirements of two subjects with one paper is academically dishonest. In short, one can plagiarize oneself and be sanctioned for the violation. You may use the ideas and words from other sources, but you must document their use with citations, usually in the form of footnotes, endnotes, or textnotes. By citing your sources, you indicate the extent of your research, thereby improving your paper.

Unauthorized Collaboration: Collaboration occurs when a student works with other students to study, do lab work, review books or develop a presentation or report. Students must receive very clear permission from the instructor to participate in collaborations. Unauthorized collaboration is an example of an academically dishonest act. What one instructor may view as a collaboration may be seen as cheating by another. The important thing to note is that if the limits of collaboration are not clear, it is the student's responsibility to ask the instructor for very clear and specific direction.

Manufacture of Data: It is academically dishonest to manufacture or deliberately alter data submitted in connection with laboratory reports, term papers or written material. Not only is this practice dishonest, it undermines the entire academic process.

Procedures and Sanctions

The sanctions for violation of student code 102.01 are clear cut:

If an instructor suspects a student has cheated or plagiarized, the faculty member will arrange to meet with the student to discuss the circumstances. If the student admits violating section 102.01, then the faculty member will issue the appropriate grade (usually an "F") and notify the Vice Chancellor of Student Services for additional disciplinary action.

If the student denies that he/she has committed an act of academic dishonesty then the instructor will forward all relevant information to the Student Discipline Coordinator (DC). The DC will review these facts and interview the student, instructor and an witnesses to determine if section 102.01 has been violated.

If the facts support the charge, the DC will levy an appropriate administrative disciplinary sanction. The student may appeal this decision to the Student Conduct Committee (through the office of the DC). However, if the student does not appeal within one week, the DC will report to the faculty member that the student has not appealed and the faculty member will then notify the Registrar of the appropriate course grade (again usually an "F") to be posted to the student's grade report.

If the DC reports that there is insufficient evidence of academic dishonesty and the student does not acknowledge misconduct, the faculty member also has the right to request a hearing of the case before the Student Conduct Committee for further review and resolution.

For a second violation of section 102.01, a student will receive an F for the course and a one-quarter suspension - provided the student admits guilt or if the Student Conduct Committee finds the student in violation of 102.01. The suspension shall be effective immediately. If the student does not admit guilt, then the normal procedure outlined above will take place.

A third infraction will result in the student's permanent dismissal from the University - provided the student admits guilt or if the Student Conduct Committee finds the student in violation of 102.01. If the student does not admit guilt, then the normal procedure outlined above will take place.

The above information is not designed to threaten or intimidate the student. Rather, it is presented to inform the individual of the consequences. The important thing to remember is that if there is any doubt in one's mind that an act is in violation of section 102.01, then the prudent response would be not to do the act. It is a simplistic approach, to be sure, but one that will benefit both the student and the university community as a whole.